H5N1 vaccines have been previously licensed, and millions are in the national stockpile. But even with the news of the country’s first human death due to bird flu, vaccination isn’t yet recommended.

While drugmakers are hard at work on the shots, they’re not yet ready to blunt the impact of a potential pandemic.

The number of bird flu cases in Central Massachusetts is relatively low, compared to a swath of the state that runs from Greater Boston to Southeastern Massachusetts. That message was delivered Wednesday during a virtual update from state health officials on the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus.